


Sleep Talk

by d0g-bless (d0gbless)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Comfort, Cuddles, F/M, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, SHIDGE, Spoilers, probably too much dialogue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2016-07-06
Packaged: 2018-07-21 23:50:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7410067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/d0gbless/pseuds/d0g-bless
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Takes place some time after the season 1 finale. Shiro and Pidge can't sleep after the battle with Zarkon. What's keeping them up at night? (ShiroPidge.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sleep Talk

Gnarled blue hands snake around his throat, constricting his airflow. He feels talons pierce his flesh. Crimson droplets drip onto his shoulder. He tries to scream for help, to make it stop, but he can’t breathe, can’t move, can’t do this.

His assailant rasps into his ear: “Oh, Champion.” Her voice is both seductive and repulsive. She clicks her tongue. “Come and stay with us. You’re not fit to be a Paladin.” She strokes his steel arm (or is it _her_ arm?) with her free hand, claws clicking on its surface.

He shudders at her touch. He wants to tell her she’s a monster.

She cackles. “Witch Haggar, a monster? Perhaps. But you’re no more a monster than anyone else in this foul universe.”

Panting, Shiro bolted upright. He took three deep breaths. _It was just a nightmare. Just a nightmare._

Haggar’s words cut deep. Visiting the hellish Galra ship hadn’t exactly helped him, either. And Haggar wasn’t entirely wrong. He wasn’t fit to be the Black Paladin. The Black Lion turned on him in the heat of battle. Worse yet, Black Lion listened to Zarkon. No, _obeyed_ Zarkon.

Shiro shook his head, as if it would clear his mind. Commander Holt would’ve given him an earful if he heard Shiro’s anxious trail of thoughts. He could almost hear the Commander’s voice: “If you’re worried, don’t sit and stew over it. Do something about it!”

The obedient (perhaps to a fault) Shiro followed the Commander’s advice. He tore off his sweat-soaked sheets and got out of bed. Perhaps walking around the Castle would do him some good. 

* * *

Pidge glared at the monitor. The system was slower than usual—meaning it was probably recovering from that tainted crystal’s corruption. “Come on!” she hissed. “My Internet back home is at least ten times this speed.”

But was Earth really home? Or living with her mother home? It hadn’t truly been her home since Dad and Matt vanished. 

“Where are you?” she asked—more to herself than to them. She hadn’t gotten on Zarkon’s ship during their last mission. Otherwise she would’ve found them, no questions asked. But no. She still didn’t know if they were on board. And even if they were, were they alive? Suppose they were… _No._ Her eyes steeled with determination. _They’re alive_. _And I’m going to find them._

“I’m over here,” Shiro said. The door closed behind him, sealing the control room shut. 

Still staring at the monitor, Pidge greeted him with a quiet “hey.” Her typing slowed to a stop. Her chair spun around to face Shiro. “Why are you up this late?” 

He leaned against a wall, arms folded. “I can’t sleep.” His eyes wandered to his non-human arm. “There’s a lot going on.” 

Before Pidge could get a word in, the computer beeped. Pidge turned back to the screen, trying to find a mute button. She was too slow: “Search completed. Zero results for Matt Holt and/or Commander Holt.” 

Pidge couldn’t look Shiro in the eye. “I know I shouldn’t obsess over them. But I can’t help but think that maybe we could’ve saved them. But we didn’t. If only…”

Shiro swallowed hard. If only the mission had gone as planned. If only Allura hadn’t gotten herself captured. If only the Black Lion had truly bonded with him… “I’m sorry.”

Pidge’s fist slammed down on a beaten armrest. “Apologies won’t save them. We need to go back.”

Memories swirled through Shiro’s mind: Haggar, injuring Matt, his arm, joyful shouts and pained screams, crowds chanting for the Champion… _Focus, Shiro. Focus._ “You know we can’t right now. We need to rest.” 

“I haven’t slept since we were last on Zarkon’s ship. I can’t rest until I find them and bring them on board.”

Shiro punched the wall, leaving a considerable dent behind. “I want to find them, too. They were my friends, my teammates, _and_ _my family_ on the Kerboros mission. I feel like a monster for leaving them behind.” He punched the wall again. “Damn this arm! Damn it all!” He drew back for another hit, but Pidge grabbed him by the crook of his elbow.

“That’s enough, Takashi.” Her voice was quiet, but far from gentle. “You’re not a monster. Unless you aren't getting enough sleep, that is."

“That's just it. I can’t sleep.” Shiro rubbed the back of his head with a hand. “Since that last battle, I’ve had nightmares. Not your average bad dream. Triggering nightmares.”

 “You don’t try and attack anyone after having one, do you?”

 Shiro scowled at this. “Of course not!”

“Okay, good.” Pidge entered a command into the keyboard. “I’m powering down the control room. Then we’ll go sleep in my room.” She looked back at Shiro. “Why are you so red?”

“Why _aren’t_ you?” he countered.

“Because I trust you. That, and I’m taking the floor.” 

* * *

“I don’t think I’ve ever been in the Green Paladin’s room,” Shiro said. Pidge’s room was neat—almost sterile. Every inch of it was dusted perfectly clean. All writing utensils were organized by type. Her books appeared to be alphabetized by title. “It’s nice.”

“Thanks, I guess.” She set her glasses on top of a portable Altean computer Allura gifted her, a few inches from her head. “Good night.” 

Shiro yawned and crawled into bed. “Mmph. Love you, Katie,” he mumbled before he succumbed to sleep.

For once, Pidge’s heart raced faster than her mind. She could barely comprehend what Shiro meant. _He loves me?_ Did he love her like a sister? As a friend? Or as something else?

She clambered up into bed and watched him sleep. He looked so young and innocent like this. Whatever the Galra did to him had aged him significantly. He couldn’t be much older than her. Maybe a year or two.

The eyes across from her fluttered open. “What’re you doing up here?”

Pidge’s mind finally caught up with her thundering heart. “I had a nightmare.”

“What about?”

“I dreamt I… lost someone I love.” 

Shiro raised a brow. “Someone I know?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she said, perhaps too quickly. “I just need to be next to someone tonight.”

“Am I someone?”

Pidge felt her face burn from turning so red. “Wh-which someone? The one I love or the one I need to be with? Or is it someone else? Who is someone?” She clapped a hand over her mouth, muffling the endless flow of words.

“Katie, you don’t have to hide anything.” Shiro’s eyes shone with warmth. “You said you trust me, right?”

“I do trust you. But…” Pidge faltered. She just couldn’t get the words out. “Right now, I can’t talk about it. But I promise I’ll tell you when I’m ready.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Secure arms wrapped around Pidge in a warm embrace. “Sleep tight, Katie.”

She snuggled up to Shiro’s chest, missing the somewhat hurt look on his face. “Night, Shiro.”  __ _A rough translation: I love you, too._


End file.
